Stoke-on-Trent MPs believe a Brexit deal can still be reached by March 29 – with less than two months to go until the UK is due to leave the European Union.

On Tuesday the House of Commons voted against delaying Brexit and in favour of reopening negotiations with the EU.

Prime Minister Theresa May says she now has a mandate to seek a ‘significant and legally binding’ change to the Irish backstop, which has been the most controversial element of the draft withdrawal agreement.

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This is despite the EU insisting that the backstop – which is aimed at preventing a hard border in Ireland – must be retained.

MPs also voted against the idea of a no-deal Brexit, although that remains the default position if no deal is reached by March 29.

Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell

Stoke-on-Trent Central’s Gareth Snell and Crewe & Nantwich’s Laura Smith were among 14 Labour MPs to defy their party whip and vote against Yvette Cooper’s amendement to extend Article 50 on Tuesday.

Mr Snell, who voted for the non-binding Spelman amendment opposing no-deal, said he did not rule out extending Article 50 at some point, but disagreed with the way the Cooper amendment would have gone about it.

The EU referendum: How you voted

He added: “I don’t want no-deal, but there are only two ways to avoid that. We can completely revoke Article 50, which I do not support, or we can agree a deal. That is where I will be putting my efforts.

“I genuinely hope we can reach a deal. I don’t think Theresa May wants a no-deal Brexit, because of the damage that will do to our economy. But instead of trying to win over people like Bill Cash she should be moving towards the centre and proposing a deal which a majority of MPs can agree on.

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“She’s now had a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn and hopefully she will listen to what he has to say, and hopefully she’ll listen to what the trade unions are telling her as well.”

Stoke-on-Trent South Conservative MP Jack Brereton voted in favour of the Brady amendment to renegotiate the Irish backstop.

He says that following this vote it is now up to the EU to accept a change to the withdrawal agreement.

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Mr Brereton said: “I’m very pleased that we have made some progress and the Prime Minister will address the concerns over the backstop. It’s now for the EU to respond to that. There are a number of potential options for addressing the concerns.

“I’ve always been clear that it’s my aim to make sure we deliver what the majority of my constituents voted for, and we leave the EU on March 29.

“I hope that we can get a deal agreed now. That is what the majority of my constituents want. Many of them don’t know why we haven’t left already.”

Stoke-on-Trent North MP Ruth Smeeth

Stoke-on-Trent North Labour MP Ruth Smeeth voted in favour of the Spelman amendment and her party’s proposal for a permanent customs union, which was rejected. But she abstained on all the other amendments, as she believed they would simply delay Brexit without any clear plan.

She said: “At the last election, I was elected on the promise that I would respect that result and deliver Brexit. I intend to honour that promise.